Algerian gold medallist says she has ‘nothing to cover’ and vows to defend her title on the 2028 Summer season Video games within the US.
Imane Khelif, who won Paris Olympics boxing gold amid a gender-eligibility row, is set to defend her title on the 2028 Los Angeles Video games and says she won’t be intimidated by United States President Donald Trump.
“I gives you a simple reply, I’m not transgender,” Khelif informed ITV in an interview aired on Tuesday.
“This doesn’t concern me, and it doesn’t intimidate me.”
Trump signed an government order banning transgender girls from feminine sports activities in america final month and known as Khelif “a male boxer” in his speech after signing the order.
Underneath the order signed in February, federal authorities funding might be denied to academic institutes that permit trans women and girls to take part in feminine sports activities and use feminine locker rooms.
Trump additionally mentioned he would push the Worldwide Olympic Committee, which has left the problem of trans folks’s participation in sport to worldwide governing our bodies, to explicitly endorse gender-based participation earlier than the 2028 Summer season Olympics in Los Angeles.
“We would like them to alter the whole lot having to do with the Olympics and having to do with this totally ridiculous topic,” the US president mentioned.
The Worldwide Olympic Committee’s government board advisable boxing’s inclusion within the 2028 Video games on Monday and Khelif mentioned she dreamed of retaining her title in California.
“Second gold medal, after all. In America, Los Angeles … I [will] defend with the whole lot this gold medal,” Khelif mentioned within the interview.
“I consider that if the outdated Imane operated at 50 p.c of her potential, then the Imane Khelif of as we speak is much more motivated and decided.”
Khelif was disqualified by the Worldwide Boxing Affiliation on the 2023 world championships after a take a look at that the physique mentioned rendered her ineligible to struggle as a lady on the grounds of gender.
The IBA misplaced its Olympic recognition over governance points, nevertheless, and the Worldwide Olympic Committee cleared Khelif to compete in Paris, aggressively defending its place after heavy criticism.
A rival physique to the IBA, World Boxing, was given provisional recognition because the worldwide governing physique of the game final month.
The advice nonetheless requires remaining approval by the IOC at its session in Greece and outgoing President Thomas Bach mentioned he was assured the session would approve it.
“At this level, I can say that the IBA is a factor of the previous,” Khelif mentioned. “As we are saying in Algeria, those that don’t have anything to cover should not have any worry.”
The talk over the inclusion of transgender athletes and athletes with Variations of Sexual Growth (DSD) in girls’s sport has been a key challenge within the IOC presidential race, with the elections set for Thursday.
“I hope the subsequent president of the IOC leads with true sportsmanship, stays dedicated to Olympic ideas, and upholds the values of honest play,” Khelif mentioned.
